Spirit Wolf
by Aria6
Summary: AU! Starrk is a spirit wolf, quietly sleeping in the forest. But an ancient curse comes back to haunt him in the form of the young man who accidentally triggered it. Can the wolf help him bring the monster within to heel, or will it devour him? Starrk/Ichigo
1. Chapter 1

The spirit wolf lay in his comfortable den and yawned, stretching out as he felt the mortals approach.

"What will they want this time?" He murmured to himself, eyes blinking lazily as he contemplated the bright, approaching specs of life force. "Mmm." Then his sleep glazed eyes strayed over the large, earthen burrow that served as his main den.

He had others, but this one was his favorite. The ground had just the right coolness, the moss was just the right amount of plush. He fed that on his own power, keeping it lush and verdant for his tired body. Beautiful streamers of luminescent growths decorated the ceiling, dripping down like Spanish moss. They were a cool blue but he could command them to go out with a flick of his power, plunging the den into darkness. That was good, when he needed to sleep. All in all, it was a very plush den. And there was a side room for the few occasions he sought to entertain mortals. Would he be using it today? Only if the mortals proved interesting. If not, they could suffer without.

As the mortals entered his den, the spirit wolf raised his head curiously. Then a subtle scent of corruption reached his nostrils and he flipped to his feet, growling as he looked over his visitors.

One was a man with black hair and stubbly beard. The other was a boy with orange hair, barely out of childhood to the spirit wolf's eyes. The scent was coming from him and the wolf felt no sympathy. He knew what this was, now. It was the first time someone had dared approach him for this, but he knew what it was about.

"Oh great spirit of the forest, we have come to ask you to remove your curse from my son." The man's voice was clearly an attempt at supplication but the spirit wolf could hear the anger beneath.

"Really. And why should I do that?" The wolf rumbled, slate grey eyes narrowed as he looked at the orange haired boy. Brown eyes met grey fearlessly and that angered he spirit wolf. He paced forward and the boy held his place, scowling. Then he stopped, waiting for a response as he met those eyes. Did the boy understand that looking into his gaze this way was a challenge?

"My son is only sixteen. He does not deserve to suffer this way." The man said and he spirit wolf felt very little sympathy. He looked at the father for a moment, meeting his angry brown eyes. Then he looked back at the boy.

"But he does." He flatly contradicted the man. "Have you not told him?" He asked the boy, who suddenly looked uncertain. But that was no surprise. He had to have a very good idea of what had caused this.

"…Told him what?" The boy said, his voice strong. But the spirit wolf could hear the hint of worry beneath.

"About the innocent life you took." The wolf said evenly and brown eyes suddenly went wide. The anguish in them did surprise the wolf. "Was it done in anger? A crime of passion? Whose blood stains your hands?" He asked and the boy took a step back, shaking his head in denial. The father looked shocked by the accusation.

"My son would never do such a thing!" He said sharply. The spirit wolf flicked him a glance before looking back at the boy. He was trembling with emotion, his hands balled into fists.

"But he did. My curse is quite specific. It can only be triggered by the death of an innocent." He said softly and the orange haired boy suddenly covered his face with his hands. "You must have guessed. The timing would have been quite suspicious…"

"Shut up!" The boy suddenly burst out before sobbing. It was a harsh, jagged sound. "I – I didn't mean to! He… I didn't mean to hurt him! Dad I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" The father was staring at his son in horror.

"It's… true? Ichigo, what did you…?" He asked before taking his son in his arms. The spirit wolf listened as the story came out.

The boy was young, but he'd recently discovered that he was attracted to other men. He'd had a good friend, a handsome young man that he'd been quietly longing for. So he'd managed to convince him to join him on a cliff, a very romantic spot before he'd confessed his feelings.

It hadn't gone well. To say the other boy was rejecting would have been an understatement. They had fought and it had gotten physical. That in itself would have been nothing but –

"I – I shoved him. I didn't… the cliff broke and he…" The boy – Ichigo – broke down again as his father looked stricken, trying to comfort him. From the look on his face, he hadn't been aware of his son's inclinations. As they were absorbed in each other the spirit wolf sighed and concentrated, shifting to his human form. Then he walked over and gently set a hand on both of their shoulders. The father and boy both looked at him, their eyes widening as they took in his human appearance.

"Perhaps there is some hope for you. Please, come with me and we will discuss it." He said before turning away. He was naked, but that meant nothing to him. Although he was cold, without any fur to warm him. The den was cozy for a wolf, not a man.

Clothing waited for him in the side room and he put it on, doing up the rough ties. It was clothing of buckskin and he'd made it himself. Turning to his visitors he saw they were looking around awkwardly, trying to avoid looking at him. Smiling slightly, he addressed them.

"Would you like some tea?" Although it wasn't really tea. It was dried mushrooms and herbs. He steeped them in water when he had the urge, which was rarely. The father shook his head but the boy nodded hesitantly, meeting his eyes for a moment. The spirit wolf nodded before breaking the contact and preparing the tea. He used just a touch of power to heat the pot. "Please, have a seat. May I ask your names?" The boy was Ichigo but that was all he knew.

"I am Kurosaki Isshin. This is my son, Ichigo." The man said. He still sounded a bit off, unsurprisingly. He'd received a terrible shock. The spirit wolf nodded as he set out the tea for Ichigo and himself and a bit of cool water for Isshin.

"My name is Coyote Starrk." He introduced himself as he took a seat. He paused to sip his tea. "Before we begin there is one thing you should know… I cannot lift this curse." He said softly and Ichigo swallowed as Isshin frowned at him. "I am a spirit wolf. We do not have curse magic. I bargained for this curse with a queen of the unseelie court. If you wish, I could give her permission to lift it and then you could bargain with her, but I would frankly recommend against it. Any price she would exact would be too high." Starrk paused for a moment then smiled, sadly. "I was indentured to her for a hundred years in return for it." They hadn't been the best years of his life.

"Why? Why did you hate us so much?" Ichigo asked and Starrk winced to himself. They had forgotten even that? But it had been well over five hundred years since the unseelie queen had given him her bitter gift of revenge.

"Because of my sister." He said softly, setting down his tea. "Your ancestor was a very evil man. The pelt of a spirit wolf has many mystical properties and men have always hunted us for that. My sister and I were twins, born within minutes of each other and we maintained a spiritual connection. I could have forgiven him for killing her. Hunt and be hunted… it is the way of things. I could not forgive him for torturing her." Starrk's eyes went dark with remembrance. "I felt her pain. There was nothing clean about his kill… he played with her, made her suffer as much as he could. I tried to reach her. So desperately I tried… but it was too far. I arrived too late and he had made his escape, leaving the forest behind with her pelt in hand." Starrk paused before sipping his tea. The thought of it brought up strong emotions but it had been a very long time ago. He could speak of it, although he did not like to. "Do you know how the powers of a spirit wolf work?" They both shook their heads, not to his surprise. "We cannot leave the forest for long or we lose what we are. The wolf within fades and we become human… I considered doing it just to kill him, but I feared I would fail. I would only be a man and while my skills at stalking and killing in this form are good, he was every bit as good, to take my Lilinette." He managed a crooked smile. "I decided that any chance of failure was unacceptable and I went to the fey, instead."

"There was a great deal of dickering." He said as he remembered. The talking and arguing had taken days. "The unseelie fey delight in tormenting mortals. They don't particularly care if the mortal deserves it or not. If it had been my choice, the curse would not have been hereditary. However, I was overruled… the Queen wanted her fun and with my blood and my sister's remains, she was able to fashion a truly potent curse." Starrk sipped his tea, regarding the boy thoughtfully. "But the nature of the curse contains possibilities. In a sense, you are now a spirit wolf."

"I, what?" The boy said, his brown eyes wide. Starrk smiled, setting down his teacup.

"Only in a sense. Part of your soul has been twisted into a beast mind. This is a completely normal condition for a spirit wolf, but quite abnormal for a human being. Without training, the result is complete insanity as the beast takes over and does what it will." He said and the boy closed his eyes for a moment, swallowing hard. Had he already had problems with his beast? It would be no surprise. Starrk couldn't help but smile. He knew it was cruel, evil smile, but he simply couldn't help it. "That is what happened to your ancestor. He must have seeded a woman by rape, to be part of your bloodlines. Children sired before the curse was cast didn't count." That was simply the nature of curses.

"There must be something we can do!" Isshin said, sounding stressed. Starrk regarded him thoughtfully for a moment.

"I think you need some tea." He decided before standing up to go make some. The man looked ready to protest but the spirit wolf gave him a cold look. "It has calming properties. And yes, there is something we can do." He continued to speak as he busied himself with the tea. "Because this curse is based on the properties of the spirit wolf, I can teach your son how to control the wolf within." Turning around he brought the tea to the table. Isshin looked ready to refuse it but finally took a small sip. "It will be a long and difficult training. He may fail and if he does, I will be forced to put him down." Starrk sipped his tea as Isshin glared at him and Ichigo looked into his teacup. "That is how it is for young spirit wolves… those that fail to control the beast must die. If they do not, or if they lose control later, they become the loup garou, monsters that haunt the night." From the surprise on their faces, they hadn't known that. Starrk smiled at them gently. "We take care of our own, so that rarely comes to pass."

"…If I can't control this I'd rather die, dad. Yuzu…" Ichigo said very softly and Starrk nodded to himself. He'd come very close to hurting someone he loved. His father took a deep breath, sipping his tea to steady himself.

"We can go to the fey." He said and Ichigo looked away as Starrk sighed. Had mortals forgotten the nature of the unseelie court?

"Do you have any magical items? Anything rare or valuable, anything beautiful beyond words?" He said idly and the two of them shook their heads. "Then that is foolish. The fey will demand more than you can afford. Most likely they would require the service of your son for a time in the underhill. That is no problem for beings like myself… we are tied to the cycles of the world and time passes normally for us. But for mortals, they become unmoored, lost in the passage of time. He might return to you in a day, or in a thousand years. Not even the fey would know for certain." Starrk knew that mortal stories talked of men and women spending a single day in the halls of the fey, then returning to find everyone and everything they had known was ashes and dust. But they didn't know why. He knew, with his great store of lore to draw on. "And no matter how soon or how late he returned, he would never be the same." He said softly, remembering his time in the underhill. It hadn't been as bad for him as it would be for a mortal, but it hadn't been good. Ichigo would have no special worth to protect him. Two sets of brown eyes regarded him, one still resentful and suspicious but the other just troubled and sad.

"How long will you need to keep him here?" Isshin said in a tight tone. Starrk wondered if the man would ever stop resenting him. But even knowing that Ichigo had partly brought this on himself, he loved his son deeply. Just from the little he'd seen Starrk was certain of that.

"At least a year." Starrk said calmly and Ichigo stared at him wide eyed as Isshin looked like he must have misheard.

"A year? Why so long?" Ichigo asked and Starrk finished his tea, setting the empty cup aside.

"The beast within is tied to the seasons and behaves differently at different times. Winter is the time of laziness and torpor, when the world sleeps. Spring is for rutting." Starrk said candidly and both the men blushed, to his amusement. "Summer is for rutting but also the pleasures of the hunt. Autumn is for the great hunt, when the prey is at their fattest and most abundant. It is important to be able to control the beast in every season." He said before frowning. "Truthfully, a year is the bare minimum. Spirit wolves are attended to by their parents for much longer than that." He considered that for a moment. "Although for us the inner beast takes longer to mature, and we learn more than just controlling it." Childhood lessons… if he tried, Starrk could remember learning to stalk with his mother and sister. The memories were bittersweet. "Hopefully, a year will be enough." He really had no interest in hosting the boy for longer. He was reluctant to take him for even a year. Why was he considering it?

The answer was obvious and Starrk sighed to himself. The teen's story had tugged on his heart, because he too had killed for a similar reason. Although in his case, the victim had been far from innocent. Pushing aside that painful memory he rested his elbows on the table, looking at them expectantly. They would have to make their decision now.

"You are offering to teach him?" Isshin asked, in the tone of someone making certain. Starrk nodded. "Do you expect him to live here?" From the man's tone, he didn't consider this an acceptable living space. Starrk gave him a crooked smile.

"No. I do have a cabin in the woods, although I rarely use it. I bribe the brownies to keep it in good condition." He gave them treats of his power, whenever they came to see him. And the minor magic of brownies was very good at keeping roofs mended and flooring in good condition. "It is several days away. Do you wish to come?" He asked and Isshin nodded, his expression determined. Starrk glanced up at the ceiling and considered what he felt. "It is still early in the day. We should begin." He decided before standing. He tended to be lazy but he could be active when events called for it.

Before they left he gathered up his human items. A longbow, kept safe in a fine, enchanted case and a quiver of arrows. They were also heavily enchanted, legacies from his father. He'd never met the elder spirit wolf. The enchanted forest was vast and he'd chosen to wander, leaving his mother behind with only this bow and a necklace to gift to his children. Starrk sometimes wondered if things might have been different, if he had remained.

But he would never know. Setting aside the thought, Starrk led them outside. He was pleased to see that it was a lovely day in the enchanted forest. Glancing at the two humans, he wondered if they truly understood the ways of the forest. If not, they would learn.

Fortunately, they did. Starrk was pleased to see that they tried to light no fires and ate only simple fare, mostly consisting of cheese and bread. They did not attempt to hunt, which was good sense. The enchanted forest was full of shape shifting creatures and for a human, shooting one of them was a good way to die. For Starrk, however…

"Er, I thought you weren't supposed to hunt here?" Ichigo said as he pulled an arrow from the body of a goose. It was early in the year, spring edging into summer, so the bird was not as fat as he would have liked. Starrk glanced up, amused.

"Spirit wolves do often eat, you know." They didn't require much though. The land gave them sustenance. Ichigo and Isshin were both looking worried, though, so he relented and gave them the truth. "Mortals are well advised not to hunt here because you can't tell the difference between a spirit wolf and a real wolf, or a shape changed fey and an actual duck. I can and this is nothing but a bird." He lifted it up and saw relief in them both.

"Goose tonight! That will be tasty." Isshin said cheerfully as Starrk slung the bird over his shoulder with a smile. He thought he was beginning to see the man's real personality. As he started to relax, Isshin was showing signs of having a rather goofy sense of humor. Starrk found it quite amusing.

That night Starrk plucked the bird and dressed it, before they roasted it over an open fire. He handled it deftly, with the ease of long experience and eventually they all had some delicious, well-cooked bird in their bellies. The two humans fell asleep, unaware of the fact that the spirit wolf was still awake and on guard. There was something…

_Why do you bring mortals so deep into the woods?_ The voice of that whisper was familiar and it angered him. Not only that, it angered the beast within. Starrk had to grit his teeth to quell the flickering rage. _Have you forgotten all of your heritage?_

"Begone, bitch. You are dead and no longer have any claim over me." He said harshly to the spirits of the woods. They were merely taunting him, to use that particular voice. The trees rustled for a moment and Starrk sensed the presence in the woods fading away. Sighing, he settled down onto the warm earth.

He could sleep now in safety. Nothing else in the forest would challenge him within his own hunting range.


	2. The Cabin in the Woods

"Mmm." Starrk carefully gripped the limb of a tree as he pulled himself along the narrow edge of a river. It was still quite early in the season and the river was swollen with water. At this point it would be a difficult swim but further down there was a ford. Some swimming would still be required, this time of year, but it would be quite passable. "I assume you both can swim?" He called back.

"Of course!" Ichigo answered with a smile and Starrk smiled back. Then he saw something that made him growl threateningly. Ichigo and Isshin both stared at him before following his gaze to the green hand reaching out of the river, preparing to snag Isshin's ankle. It hesitated and then, with a decent sense of self-preservation, retreated. "What was that?" Ichigo asked, a bit unsettled and Starrk shrugged.

"Nixie. It would probably just have given you a dunking, they're usually not murderous." He said and they both looked relieved as they continued along the banks. That seemed to remind Isshin of something, though.

"I had wondered. I understand why we can't hunt while you can, but why can't we light any fires? You do all the time." He asked and Starrk paused for a second. That was an interesting question.

"Well, the not entirely true answer is that the spirits of the forest don't trust mortal men with fire. You tend to start forest fires." He said as they continued. "The truth… well, this is the rainy season. You couldn't start a large fire if you tried. But there are hard feelings about the contraction of the forest. The lighter powers here will follow their own rules and not harm you if you follow them as well, but they'll take any infraction as an excuse to harm you." Starrk stepped over a log, frowning. "Careful, this is rotten – yes. For centuries, men have been nibbling away at the forest, clearing and planting their seeds. There have been times like this before, but none that went on so long or bit so deeply. The forest is as small as it has ever been and there has been violence in certain places… the spirits of the forest are unwilling to tolerate further intrusions. Many of them are quite bitter about it."

"You are an old and powerful spirit and you don't seem to be worried." Isshin observed and Starrk had to smile.

"I am not so old as that. A thousand years, at most." He said easily and felt more than saw the two humans taking in his age. "That is young, for a spirit wolf. We are immortal. And I have a few advantages… unlike many of the other spirits, I am mobile. If worst came to worst I would retreat further into the forest. And as young and strong as I am, I could likely take a territory from someone else." He smiled then, amused at the thought. He might even enjoy that. Starrk had little liking for his own kind. "Also, I tend to be philosophical about such things. Right now, the human population is expanding. Agriculture has done that… but eventually, it will correct, as any population does. The plagues that run through you are such corrections. Soon, I think there will be a great one."

"…I wish you wouldn't say that so casually." Isshin sounded queasy and Starrk looked back at him in surprise. "I am a doctor. I treat those people you are talking about."

"Mmm." Starrk hesitated. He knew what it was to be ill, of course, but spirit wolves typically did not die of sickness. Unless they were badly hurt they rarely got sick at all. "Well, I'm sorry, but it's just the way of things. Hopefully it will not happen until long after you are dead. When I said 'soon' I meant anytime from tomorrow until a few centuries." He didn't think it would be longer than that, though. These things seemed to follow a pattern. Isshin sighed but said no more about it. "Now, I have a question for you. You seemed to know nothing about my curse… how did you even know to come to me?" Five hundred years was a decent length of time. More than enough for records to be lost, among short lived mortals. And the stories must have been fragmentary to begin with. Starrk hadn't exactly given them his memoires.

"We went to a wizard. He said the curse stank of dark forest magic, and it whispered two names. He consulted with the oracles and told us where to find you. He couldn't find the other." Isshin answered and Starrk flinched. But he'd asked for that.

"Coyote Starrk and Lilinette Gingerbuck." He said softly and Isshin nodded. "My sister. No one remembers her but me. Strange, that the curse would also remember." Or not so strange. Her blood and bones had gone into the making of it. The remains of a spirit wolf, slain with such cruelty, had proven to be a potent tool indeed. He remembered how much the unseelie queen had enjoyed casting the curse.

"Erm… why do you have different last names?" Ichigo said, clearly trying to take the conversation to something less sensitive. It worked, too. Starrk was more than happy to answer.

"We mark our descent differently than you humans. Male children are named after the father, females after the mother. And the naming conventions are reversed. My family name is Coyote but my given name is Starrk. For my sister, Lilinette was her given name and Gingerbuck was her family name. My father was Coyote Fenarr and my mother was Genevieve Gingerbuck." The two humans both looked mystified. Starrk smiled in amusement as they reached the ford.

"Here we are… this should be shallow enough to wade across, except in the middle." He said before unstringing his bow and storing the bowstring in a waterproof package. The bow and arrows would be fine. Their enchantments protected them from such things. Then he began to disrobe, as the two of them stared. "What? I don't enjoy swimming in clothes."

"No, I just… can you warn us next time?" Isshin asked as Ichigo blushed and tried to keep his gaze glued to the ground. Starrk sighed, ruffling his hair as he stuffed his clothing into another bag. It wasn't waterproof but it would help a little.

"Humans… are you going to swim in your clothes?" He said and Isshin scowled at him as Ichigo nodded. "At least take off your shoes. And pass them over, I'll take them for you." He didn't think it was really possible to swim in those. They both did that, along with their socks and the articles of clothing joined his in his bag. Isshin lifted his own bag out of the water with his hands as they started through the ford and Ichigo followed suit. Starrk took the lead, his bare feet handling the wet, mossy stones with practiced ease.

The centre of the river was deeper than he'd thought and they had to swim a decent distance before coming back to a place they could stand. Starrk easily made it first and glancing back, he frowned. Ichigo was having no problem but Isshin was struggling a bit, likely from the weight of his pack. Starrk wondered how much of the contents would be ruined. But humans had waxed paper and other waterproofed materials. Surely he'd used them, rain happened all the time in this season.

They all made it safely out of the water and Starrk pulled on his clothes, to everyone's relief. He did wonder why it bothered Isshin. He knew why it might bother Ichigo… he was a fine figure of a man and this was still close to the rutting season. No doubt his beast was tormenting the boy with images of what might be done to his body. The thought did not distress Starrk at all. There was a decent chance he would indulge the other, as the teaching progressed. It would be a learning moment.

Pushing aside that rather interesting vision of the future, they made their way back to the trail. The detour was annoying. He'd said it would only take a couple days but now Starrk thought it would be three or four. It had been too long since he'd come this way, the forest had started eating his trail. And a swamp had formed, further delaying them. They'd needed to be careful, thanks to the venomous spiders that infested it. Starrk had ways of dealing with them but they required time.

Fortunately, they soon hit the path and continued on their way. It was another sleep and another day before they finally reached their destination.

"Here it is." Starrk said, relieved. The log cabin was still standing and in pristine condition. It even had windows. Starrk remembered buying the glass from a dwarven trader like it was yesterday. They could move among humans and often did, bringing items to creatures like himself, who were bound to the forest. "We can – oh." Little brownies had come swarming out with glad cries.

"Starrk! Starrk!" Isshin and Ichigo stood perfectly still as the little creatures swarmed them. "It's been so long! So long since you came to see!" The leader, a wizened oldster, said to him brightly. Starrk smiled as he knelt, filling his hands with power and offering it to the brownies. They took it gladly. To them, his energies were like a special treat.

"I trust you. But it will be nice to see it again. You haven't changed my sister's room?" He asked and there was a chorus of negatives. Glancing at the humans, he smiled sadly. "That is one room I do not want touched. I will show you." That suddenly drew the brownies' attention to the humans.

"Who are they Starrk?" One little girl brownie asked innocently. "They feel like mortals."

"Because they are. This is Isshin and this is Ichigo." Starrk introduced them, pointing them out. Isshin smiled at the brownies as Ichigo waved. The little spirits giggled and waved back. "Isshin will be leaving but Ichigo will be staying for quite a while. Don't get stepped on." That was the danger of having so many brownies around. They were durable, though. One of the older brownies sniffed.

"It will be good practice for them! There's too many littles, we'll need to split the colony soon." She said and Starrk nodded. Brownies were magical but not at all tied to the forest. They tended to breed here, though, and then send their offspring out into the human world. Brownies only thrived in happy households so having them was considered to be a sign of good luck, among humans. "Do you already have brownies?" She asked and Isshin nodded.

"We had more while my wife was still alive, but we still have a good number." He said and the brownie smiled, pleased. Starrk was pleased too. Some joy must have gone out of the home after Ichigo's mother had died, but it still had to be a happy household.

"Well, let me show you to your rooms." He said before taking them inside the cottage. He'd built it with company in mind, nearly seven hundred years ago. Things with humans had been tense then but he'd been hopeful that matters might improve and there were others he sometimes hosted, half-breeds and other forest creatures. So there were plenty of rooms. "Would this suit you?" He asked Ichigo as he opened a door, stepping inside. The room was precisely as he remembered it, a decent sized bed with a red comforter and a small desk with a chair. Normally fabric and wood did not last so long, but between the brownies and his own power, it remained in good condition. Ichigo glanced around before nodding. "I expect you'll only be staying for the night, but you can stay here." He said as he led Isshin to another room. He missed the man's frown and his quick glance at Ichigo.

"It's quite fine, thank you." Isshin said politely. Starrk was sure he was exaggerating… the rooms were nothing much, just a space to put your head. Smiling sadly, he gestured for them to follow him.

"This is my room." He pressed a hand against a door but didn't bother to open it. "And this is my sister's." This time he did open the door to reveal a room. It was precisely how it had been when she had died. The blankets were unmade, the soft pinks and purples she had favored. A frilly little nightgown was discarded across them, as if she'd just left the room. Starrk's eyes misted over as he looked at it before he glanced at the desk. Unlike the other rooms, it had a large, heart shaped mirror behind it. In front of the mirror was a large collection of perfume bottles and some scattered bits of silver jewelry. Starrk had given her most of them, trading pelts to the human traders for little things. The only thing he'd removed from the room was the necklace his father had left them. That had been Lilinette's, but he'd decided the magic in it was too valuable to be left as a shrine to her. He wore it rarely, and only when he thought he was going into great danger.

"I'm sorry." Ichigo said softly and Starrk blinked, realizing he'd been standing there for some time, his mind far away. Shaking his head at his own foolishness, he turned away.

"My apologies. There's a kitchen but no real food. I'll go catch something." The game was certainly plentiful this time of year. Leaving the humans to settle in, Starrk went out to hunt. Deciding he fancied a meal of fish, he went to the river. It took a great deal of patience but he managed to net a very large, powerful catfish. Carrying his kill back to the house, Starrk smiled to himself. It had been a long time since he'd eaten fish anything but raw. He wasn't even sure he remembered how to scale and clean it.

Fortunately, Isshin and Ichigo both knew how to handle the fish. Starrk let them handle that as he got the kitchen working again. Everything was in perfect order but it was still easier for him, since he could use magic to fire up the stove. Glancing at the pantry, he sorted through the spices. They would still be good, thanks to his magic. Otherwise they would have been nothing but dust. Finding a spice mix that was meant specifically for fish, he brought it out.

"Do you ever eat vegetables?" Isshin asked, his tone neutral. Starrk smiled as he dug into the flesh of the fish.

"Rarely. I am a spirit wolf, after all. But we do sometimes eat plants, particularly when the hunting is bad. I can show your son what plants are edible and what are not. He can forage for them while I hunt. It is safe enough, for a mortal." Starrk said easily. "Do either of you play cards?" It had been so long since he had company but he remembered that. He knew several games that could be played with only two, but it was much better with three or four. Isshin brightened.

"Oh yes! Cards have always been my favorite thing." He said happily and Ichigo smiled. Starrk went to fetch the deck, bringing it over and shuffling. "My, that's lovely. Are those hand painted?" Starrk glanced down at the deck of cards, surprised. It had been a very long time since he'd looked at them.

"Oh, yes. They're actually not that great. The backs stick a little and I didn't realize that someone very clever could memorize the variations of the paintings and count the cards." He said with a small smile. It was actually a pleasant memory although at the time he'd wanted to strangle his partner. Ichigo snorted as Isshin laughed. "Would you like to play rummy?" Maybe they would know the rules. Isshin nodded.

"Certainly." Starrk dealt and soon they were all engrossed in the game. There was a great deal of luck in it but also some skill, as with most such things. As they played, Starrk found himself deeply enjoying himself. Had he been lonely, in his den in the hill? Probably.

Loneliness had always been part of his life.

* * *

Several days later.

"Isshin. While I'm finding I very much like your company, you are being an absolute idiot." Starrk said firmly to the rather guilty looking man. He was aware of his own foolishness. Ichigo was looking away, his face pinched. "I know you don't trust me with your son but you must leave. You know the rules of the forest. You came at a perfect time but now you're ruining it." The problem was the lunar cycle. The full of the moon was the most innocent time, when bright light shone down and gave full light to the forest. Most of the powers were well fed and sleepy during that time. The dark of the moon was more dangerous. The darker powers, the trolls and evil spirits were far more likely to go wandering. "In another week it will be the dark of the moon. You're barely going to miss it." Starrk knew this was bad. The days preceding the dark of the moon were nearly as dangerous as the night itself. Isshin looked stubborn but Ichigo shook his head.

"Dad, he's right. If you stay much longer you'll have to stay for weeks. Do you really want to leave Yuzu and Karin with Aunt Mari for that long?" He asked and Isshin frowned, looking away. "And Hanachi is going to be going into labor soon. Dad, you've got responsibilities." That interested Starrk and he remembered. Isshin was a doctor. Wait…

"Are you the doctor for just your village?" He asked, mildly apprehensive. Isshin shook his head with a frown. "How many villages do you serve?" He wouldn't be surprised if… Isshin sighed and confirmed his feelings.

"Three. I make a circuit between them regularly." He admitted and Starrk mentally cursed. He knew the kind of man Isshin was, now. Such men had visited him several times through his life, seeking the lore of the forest. Spirit wolves were very good for that sort of thing… they had a vast knowledge of herbs and tinctures, and many of them knew how diseases worked. They were also willing to share their knowledge freely, if you picked the right wolf at least.

"Do you have an apprentice?" He asked. Such knowledge was critical to the survival of human villages. Isshin glanced at Ichigo and Starrk bit back a groan. Of course. "We will escort you out of the forest." He decided. It would be bad enough for Ichigo if his father died, but he was simply too important for his people for that to be allowed to happen. Isshin frowned at him.

"What do you care about my profession or the people I serve?" He asked and Starrk lifted an eyebrow at him.

"I am a spirit wolf. Men like you have petitioned me for lore countless times over the years. I could probably teach you a great deal… but not right now. Even for me, the dark of the moon is not the best time to wander. We should leave immediately." He said firmly and Isshin looked ready to protest before Ichigo punched him in the shoulder. Isshin growled and tried to punch him back, which dissolved into a tussle. Starrk smiled. He'd noticed this family could be quite physical. Ignoring them, he went to the kitchen to gather up a bit of leftover food. It wouldn't keep long but they could have it for lunch.

With a bit of nudging he got the two humans up and out of the door. Since they didn't need to go back to his den, Starrk forged a completely new path through the wilderness. He knew his territory like the back of his hand and this route would take them to where they needed to be much more quickly than the regular trail. Getting back over the river was a slight pain, since there was no ford. Starrk insisted on taking both their packs for the swim. He was stronger and he remembered how Isshin had struggled on that small part of the ford. He could see why as he swam with the pack… he'd clearly brought plenty of his doctoring supplies with him. Starrk was tired when he reached the other side and he shook out his hair.

He looked back as he heard a scream. Cursing, the spirit wolf dropped the packs and dove back into the water. This time it was a nereid, and far more dangerous than a nixie. Shaped like a beautiful woman, it had snarled Isshin and was kissing him. Ichigo was trying to help his father but he couldn't stay under the water long and the magical strength of the nereid was too much for him… at the moment. Starrk could see his eyes changing colors as the beast rose up in anger. Still, he wouldn't be able to face the nereid in her own element.

Starrk could. He was a spirit wolf and deeply tied to his own territory. That included the moving parts of it, the rivers and the streams. Diving deep, he turned and swam upwards, ignoring the burn in his lungs. He could hold his breath a very long time.

The nereid didn't see him coming until it was too late and his claws ripped into her back. He had taken a man-beast hybrid form, the most effective thing he had for both swimming and combat. The nixie screamed, letting go of the man she'd intended to mate. Because that had been her purpose… the kissing gave Isshin the air he needed to breath underwater. Of course, the mating would ultimately have been fatal to him. The water was cold and the nereid wouldn't particularly care if he died of exposure. Turning in a rage, she tried to fight him but Starrk was much stronger. He could not kill her but he did drive her off, hissing curses at him. He quickly went to the surface for air before checking to make sure she was gone. His lungs hurt, but he was fine. He would recover easily.

"What… was that…?" The two humans were on the banks of the river and gasping. Isshin in particular looked shell-shocked as Starrk climbed out of the river.

"A nereid. She was looking for a sexual encounter." He said briefly and Isshin blushed as Ichigo's mouth dropped open. "However, they mate underwater. As cold as that river is, you wouldn't have survived for long. So don't feel deprived." Another man he'd rescued from something similar had been quite disappointed about it. Starrk had considered tossing him back in. The thought put a smile on his face and he bent over, shaking himself off. Ichigo and Isshin both yelped as they were pelted with water. His hybrid shape was as good at that as a dog. "Sorry."

"No you're not." Ichigo growled as he wiped the water away. Starrk lapsed back into his fully human form, picking up his clothes and putting them back on. He looked away then, blushing. "That other shape… why don't you use it when you're going to be naked?" He asked and Starrk shook his head.

"Because it would be wasteful of my power. That form is best for combat." He said and Ichigo looked at him, a touch surprised. "You will find you have something similar, although probably not quite like that." He honestly wasn't sure how that would translate. Isshin swallowed before speaking gamely.

"Well, I don't regret not becoming a water spirits toy! Perhaps we should keep going?" He said and Starrk nodded. Briefly, he wondered why the nereid had gone for the older man and not the younger. It could have been the curse. Or perhaps she'd just sensed that he would be of no use to her.

The journey out of the forest still took several days and at once point they had to fight a troll. Starrk was very glad they'd decided to escort Isshin out of the forest. Trolls were constantly wandering but tended to hibernate when the lunar cycle was on the full side, moving around and feeding far more in the dark of the moon. It was already becoming too dangerous for a human to wander around the forest and the troll was a sign of it.

Eventually the trees started to thin. The end of the enchanted forest was not a firm thing. The magic ebbed and flowed, moving with a natural rhythm. But Starrk knew in his bones when they had reached the true edge of the forest. He halted, smiling as Ichigo and Isshin both looked at him, surprised.

"I can go no further. Continue in this direction and you should hit a trail before long." Starrk said and Isshin nodded. He knew this area too. "You should be safe enough, from forest creatures at least. I cannot vouch for mortal ills." Bandits, a bad storm… there were things that could happen. Ichigo and Isshin shared a hug before the black haired man looked at him.

"Take good care of him." He said quietly and Starrk met his gaze for a moment before nodding.

"I will do everything I can." He said quietly. He couldn't promise success, but he would do his best for Ichigo.

Despite the innocent life he had taken, the spirit wolf thought there really was hope for him.


End file.
